A bite-sized recap of the biggest stories of the week, so you know where to go and what to order across Melbourne and Victoria. Check in each week so you can be the smartest person in your group chat.
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Explore Prahran Market’s best over winter
Cooler weather is best tackled with a warm kitchen, and a trip to one of Melbourne’s top produce markets is bound to spark culinary creativity. Prahran Market is turbocharging things with its winter series, Eat It Up, spotlighting a different corner of the food world each weekend until June 20-21. The first two events covered meat and fresh fruit and vegetables; next up is seafood (June 6-7), artisan products such as pastries and coffee (June 13-14) and a community party for the final weekend (June 20-21). This weekend, join an oyster appreciation session, find out more about seaweed’s benefits, and try market-fresh seafood.
Filo pies are a shortcut to comfort
Stash some filo pastry in the freezer and thank yourself later: you’ll be one step closer to golden flaky pie. From a cumin-scented lamb borek that’s a spiral of puffy pastry to a sweet apple and raisin number from Helen Goh with a ruffly top, we’ve got five fantastic filo recipes for you.
Where to eat this June, according to our team
If you want to try a brand-new restaurant or want a rock-solid recommendation from a critic, we’ve got 18 suggestions for you. Our June dining hit list includes comforting Thai noodles from a new expat-run restaurant; two newcomers perfect for stop-offs during coastal road trips; and a city trattoria that’s channelling all the best parts of Rome, including its grandeur. Plus cheesy toasties, giant slices of pizza, a reliable steakhouse and hand-made dumplings.
The Download: Wednesday, May 27
Make your cocktail order Victorian this June
Meeting someone for a drink? Why not head to a bar pouring all-Victorian cocktails right now as part of Serves of the State? The initiative highlights the mind-blowing range of spirits created right here in Victoria. From butterscotch whisky to pastis and brandy, products from 45 local distilleries feature in brand-new drinks at 15 bars, including Whiskey & Alement, Moondrop and Bar Selecta. At Mr Mills, you can get a pink drink of Patient Wolf Pink Lake Gin, rhubarb, strawberry and grapefruit. Even regional bars are getting in on the fun. These all-local cocktails are available until Sunday, June 14; check out the full list of participating bars and their drinks.
What’s up with those strange cravings for stroganoff and milkshakes?
Are you noticing more food fantasies (than usual) in your mind? There’s a reason for that, Susie Burrell explains this week in her column on the science behind food cravings. Beyond understanding why you’ve got a hankering for a porchetta roll, you’ll also understand the difference between random and repeated food cravings, and how to get on top of the habitual ones.
Hump day special: Lunch from $35 at a hatted restaurant
Opposite South Wharf, on the banks of the Yarra, From Here by Mike has cooked up a bargain weekday lunch. Get one main course for $35 – perhaps a scotch fillet with fries or a seasonal pasta – or add an entree and pay $50 total. In her November review, Dani Valent wrote, “Each plate is a clever, delicious showcase of ingredients, working on its own terms but also singing in harmony with the rest of the menu”. With the deal available Monday to Friday, noon to 2.30pm, it seems like a solid choice for your next business meeting or team lunch. Find out more.
The Download: Wednesday, May 20
A big charity dinner with big culinary stars
It’s an all-star affair for the third Feast to Feed fundraiser, a gala dinner to support the work of meal charity service Alex Makes Meals. Names including Matt Preston and former MasterChef alumni Nat Thaipun and Emelia Jackson are designing a five-course meal to be served under the NGV’s stained-glass ceiling on Saturday, June 20. Every ticket sold will help distribute 250 meals to those in need. Alex Make Meals started during the pandemic and now distributes more than 4,000 meals a week around Melbourne. Tickets are $275 and available now.
The Download: Wednesday, May 6
Mother’s Day gift ideas in a pinch
You can’t go wrong with a box of pralines for Mother’s Day, but why not make it bougee? Koko Black’s limited-edition Mother’s Day range includes a selection of praline gift boxes (from $38.90) and even the option to build your own (bonus points for cute packaging). For any wine-loving mums, South Yarra bar Gracie’s Wine Room has released its own orange vino – a Viognier drop with notes of apricot, citrus and ginger spice. It’s made in collaboration between Gracie’s and Konpira Maru’s urban winery and will set you back $55 (including shipping) if you buy online. Even better, pop into the bar and grab one for just $48.
Your ultimate Melbourne dining hit list this May
This month let’s raise a glass (or latte) to Bar Lourinha (20 years), Marios (40) and Laikon Deli (50) for their milestone birthdays. We check out what current and former Young Chefs of the Year are up to at Quiet Deeds and Bar Sophia respectively – the latter is home to this squeaky cheese, pictured. Reviewer Dani Valent’s mind was blown in “five different ways” by a Filipino dessert in the ‘burbs. Speaking of mind-blowing, discover a pair of spicy martinis: Second Hand Dealer’s banh mi martini (yes, really) and Flinders Lane newcomer The Florence’s peperoncini martini with pickled chilli. Find more hot and new Melbourne venues here and save them to your own hit list on the Good Food app.
Recipes to make mum’s day this weekend
Wanting to spoil mum this Mother’s Day? Entrecote’s southern rock lobster dish, served with sauce Choron, blistered cherry tomatoes and frites, is the ultimate high-low indulgence. Save this recipe on the Good Food app and learn how to make it at home. It’s better than any gift. Or, get your bake on with Helen Goh’s delicious almond butter cake, complete with a luxe marbled interior and pink icing. Find more Mother’s Day cakes to bake here.
The Download: Friday, April 24
Star-powered Melbourne restaurant pop-ups to book
Star chef and Good Food recipe columnist Rosheen Kaul is opening a new restaurant for a limited time only. On May 9, Little Rose will take over the former Alta Trattoria in Fitzroy for a two-month residency. This will be Kaul’s longest stint in one kitchen since departing Etta (a Good Food Guide Critics’ Pick) in 2024. Other pop-ups across Melbourne and surrounds include Sydney pasta spot Ragazzi’s Fitzroy stint, and former Good Food Guide Young Chef of the Year Cameron Tay-Yap’s Pebble pop-up in West Melbourne, both running until May 3. There’s also Basque Txoko, Michelin-recognised chef Aitor Jeronimo Orive’s residency at South Yarra’s Nobody’s Baby, now extended until July; plus Laam Thai’s next pop-up in Geelong West on May 17 and 18. Find out more details about the various pop-ups here.
A dietitian’s 10 hacks for getting on top of cold and flu season
Shorter days and cooler temperatures mean winter is just around the corner, and with it the dreaded cold and flu season. While there are loads of people who stock up on vitamins and supplements at this time of year, the truth is our immune system is much more powerfully affected by our daily food and lifestyle habits than it is by one-off pills and potions. This means that if you want to power through winter largely unscathed, now is the time to act. See dietitian Susie Burrell’s top 10 ways to strengthen your immune system ahead of cold and flu season here.
Restaurants helping to ease the cost of fuel
Anyone who drives needs no reminder about the high price of petrol. Despite the federal government temporarily halving the fuel excise, costs are staying up as a result of conflict in the Middle East. But while cost-of-living concerns continue mounting across the board, some Melbourne restaurants are finding ways to ease the burden for prospective diners, from reimbursements on fuel receipts to menu discounts. Find out more here, including a list of hatted restaurants easily accessible on the train line using the Victorian government’s free public transport initiative.
Sweet deal: Stokehouse Pasta & Bar $45 express lunch
Hatted St Kilda fine diner Stokehouse’s casual beachfront offshoot is bringing the midweek power lunch back to Melbourne. At Stokehouse Pasta & Bar, dine from 12-3pm on Mondays through to Fridays and enjoy a two-course lunch with a glass of wine for just $45 per person. Perfect for a business lunch or midweek catch up, the express dining deal includes a small entree to start, plus a pasta of your choosing from the menu’s rotating selection, and a wine or house drink. Bookings can be made here.
Hump day special: Hawker 88 Night Market Queen Vic
Days might be getting shorter but Melbourne’s fun doesn’t halt at sundown. Each Wednesday from April 8, the Hawker 88 Night Market returns to the Queen Victoria Market, which will transform into our very own Asian-style street market over the course of the month. More than 50 stallholders are joining this year’s lineup with snacks ranging from momos to matcha, Cambodian skewers, tteokbokki and more. Plus, there’s a bunch of food, drink and retail specials going for $8.80 (a nod to the number’s association with luck and prosperity), including mini bao, hoisin pork belly laksa, Korean potato twists, lucky cut keychains, mocktails and wines – to name a few. As always, live entertainment and weekly themes will feature – find out more here. The night market runs every Wednesday from 5 to 10pm until May 6.
Save your favourite recipes and restaurants on the Good Food app
No more dog-earing your recipe books. The Good Food app has launched a new saved function, which allows you to compile all your favourite recipes in one easy place. Simply click the bookmark icon to save, then head to the Saved page on the navigation panel to view. The Good Food app is home to more than 10,000 recipes from Australia’s top cooks, including Nagi Maehashi, Adam Liaw, Helen Goh, Neil Perry, Karen Martini, Emelia Jackson and more.
